Dr. Koeberlé
1914
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle
We can clearly see that this old man has been marked by life. It is a portrait of Dr. Koeberlé, a famous surgeon from Strasbourg who, among other things, invented hemostatic forceps. When the artist and the doctor met, Koeberlé was already 86 years old.
Details
- Plan number: D095
- Zone: Open-air depot
- Title: Dr. Koeberlé
- Creator: Emile-Antoine Bourdelle
- Date: 1914
- Material: bronze
- Acquisition: purchase
- Object number: MID.B.035
At the same time, the artist elevates the portrait to another level: he presents the doctor as a timeless ideal of an intelligent man. One of the preliminary studies bears the title 'Homer', after the great Greek poet to whom the Iliad and the Odyssey are attributed. The fact that the doctor is not dressed in a suit or a medical coat, but wears a kind of toga, identifies him as an heir to Greco-Roman civilization.
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle is known for his monumental sculptures, but he also created striking portraits. He drew inspiration from both classical antiquity and the Middle Ages, sometimes in a more lyrical and sometimes in a severe archaic style. The expressive energy in his art is characteristic of his work.
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle
This impressive athlete tenses his entire body and bow. He exudes tremendous power. It seems as if he is drawing all the energy from his surroundings, not only to shoot an arrow, but to unleash something greater.
Emile-Antoine Bourdelle
This powerful ram resists the shepherdess who wants to bring him back into line with all her might. You could read the work as a classic shepherd's tableau, but also as a struggle between wild nature and man who wants to curb nature. Who wins? During his holidays in Villard-de-Lans in south-eastern France, Emile-Antoine Bourdelle becomes fascinated by this ram. He immortalises him in drawings and sculptures.
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